The mysterious figure's gaze locked onto Etoma.
She froze—then immediately buried her face in Eula's chest, trembling.
Eula didn't hesitate. She pivoted and dashed backward, tightening her hold around Etoma as instinct took over.
Diluc and the others caught on at once, rushing forward to intercept.
At the center of it all, the mysterious figure remained still—silent, unmoving.
Waiting.
When Diluc's group formed a defensive line in front of him, weapons drawn and bodies tense, the air shifted.
"Who are you?" Diluc demanded, his voice cold. Flames coiled along his claymore. "And why are you here?"
The figure said nothing at first. His gaze lingered on Etoma in the distance. Then, slowly, he turned to face them.
"Nice to meet you… I suppose." His voice was deep, layered with a faint, unnatural echo.
"My name is Aurelios. One of the 'Masked Fools.' I bear the title… Mask of Doom. As for why..."
He raised a hand and pointed. "That white-haired girl."
Shock rippled through the group.
"What do you want with her?" Kaeya's tone sharpened, eyes narrowing.
Aurelios didn't hesitate "To kill her,"
That was all it took. No more words need to discuss.
Diluc surged forward instantly, flames roaring to life.
"HAAA!!!"
CLANK!* BOOM!*
Their clash detonated the ground beneath them, dust erupting into the air and swallowing both figures whole.
When it settled—
Diluc's eyes widened. His claymore had been stopped. Pinched between Aurelios's fingers. His arms trembled under the pressure.
Then—
Movement.
Kaeya and Lumine burst through the thinning dust from opposite sides, blades flashing toward Aurelios's blind spots.
Aurelios stepped back with unnatural ease. With a flick of his arm, he sent Diluc stumbling into Kaeya—
—and caught Lumine's blade in his free hand.
Clank!*
"Kgh—!" She pushed, but it didn't budge.
Aurelios knocked her sword aside—then drove a fist into her abdomen.
"GAKH—!" Blood spilled from her lips.
Before she could recover, a spinning kick slammed into her, launching her across the battlefield. She struck the ground, bounced—once, twice—before twisting midair and forcing herself into a rough landing.
A thin line of blood ran from her mouth.
Aurelios straightened.
"Should I take this… as refusal?" he said calmly. "Very well."
He raised his hand. Thunder gathered above him—violent, crackling—and struck down into his palm. When the light faded, a golden blade had formed in his grasp. He lowered it, pointing toward them.
"Then I'll simply add more bodies to the count."
A sharp whistle cut through the air. A cyan arrow streaked toward his head—
—and missed by a hair length.
Aurelios's hood tore slightly as the projectile passed.
He turned.
Above them floated Venti, bow in hand, eyes cold—utterly unlike his usual carefree self.
"Leave Mondstadt," Venti said, voice quiet but firm. "And don't come back. Or else the next one won't miss."
His gaze as cold as his voice. The usual playful one was nowhere to be seen.
Aurelios touched his cheek. When he pulled his hand away, dark blue blood stained his fingers.
"Last warning," Venti added, drawing another arrow.
For a brief moment, Aurelios said nothing. Then—
He vanished.
Venti's eyes widened. Behind him—
Aurelios reappeared mid-swing. "HM!"
Venti twisted away just in time, the golden blade slicing through empty air.
Aurelios pressed forward relentlessly, each strike faster than the last. Venti weaved and dodged, barely keeping ahead of the assault.
'Tch, at this distance, I'm at disadvantage!' His thought.
He swept his arm outward. A surge of wind exploded from him, slamming into Aurelios and forcing him back.
Aurelios raised a hand to block, his momentum stalling for just a second—
—and that was enough.
When he lowered his arm, Venti was already at a distance, bow drawn.
"I warned you," Venti said softly. "Farewell."
He released.
The arrow became a streak of cyan light—too fast for the eye to follow. Just before impact—
A massive golden barrier materialized. The arrow struck it—and shattered harmlessly.
Venti's eyes widened.
"You've forced me to reveal my trump card," Aurelios said, rising higher into the air. "Be proud."
Golden energy gathered in his palm, dense and blinding.
"But you've made a fatal mistake."
His voice dropped.
"Fall… to despair."
A beam of pure golden energy erupted from his hand. It tore through the air toward Venti with overwhelming speed.
No time to evade. Venti crossed his arms, wind surging around him as a shield formed—
BOOM—!!!*
The beam slammed into the ground, erupting into a massive explosion. A towering cloud rose into the sky.
.
Far away, in Liyue, inside a quiet antique shop, a man with black hair, its edges tinged brown, paused mid-inspection. Slowly, he turned his gaze toward Mondstadt.
He watched in silence for a moment. Then set the item down. And walked out.
.
Back in Mondstadt. Aurelios descended calmly through the fading smoke.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a cyan arrow tore toward him.
He moved to dodge—
Too late.
It grazed past his body and struck his left arm. The arrow detonated. Violent winds exploded outward, shredding his arm completely. It fell—gone.
"Got you," Venti said, emerging from the smoke.
He looked battered. A blood traced his lips. A golden blood.
His form also changed. Gone was the bard. Now he stood in the divine attire of the Anemo Archon—the form he once bore in ancient war.
Aurelios glanced at him, unfazed by his missing arm.
"I must admit… I'm surprised," he said. "You survived that."
His gaze lingered on the outfit. "…Though now, I suppose I shouldn't be."
"Should I say 'as expected,' Barbatos?"
"You know me? I'm honored~" Venti said as his playful nature has returned.
"Of course," Aurelios replied. "Who doesn't know the Seven? But..."
Aurelios paused.
"Let's end this here." He said as he glanced towards Li Yue direction.
Venti tilted his head slightly. "I don't think I can do that~ As long as I'm here, you won't lay a finger on her."
"No, I decide when it ends." He suddenly snapped his finger.
A massive golden barrier materialized around Venti, sealing him inside.
"Tch—" Venti shot upward, already drawing power into his next attack. This time, the arrow forming in his grasp was enormous—dense with destructive force, meant to shatter mountains.
Inside the barrier—
BOOM—!* BOOM—!* BOOM—!*
Explosions thundered relentlessly.
But Aurelios didn't even look back.
He simply walked forward.
Toward his target.
.
.